New callup Rasmus traded day before wedding

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- When Cory Rasmus was shipped from the Braves to the Angels on July 29, his first reaction was the initial shock of being traded for the first time in his career. Then it was the logistics: when he was going to fly out, what he needed to pack and where he was going to live for the rest of the summer.

Then, shortly after that, it hit him: he was supposed to get married the next day.

"I was just kind of like, 'OK, I don't know what I have to do, I don't know where I need to be," Rasmus said Friday from Seattle, after the Angels called him up from Triple-A Salt Lake. "And so [Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto] called me, I talked to him for five, 10 minutes, and I went in and told my wife now, and was like, 'Hey, I just got traded. You still want to do this thing tomorrow?' She said, 'If you can, we'll go ahead and do it.'"

Rasmus called Dipoto back, got his flight moved back a few hours, got married by the court in Gwinnett, Ga. -- site of the Braves' Triple-A affiliate -- in the morning and flew to Salt Lake City, Utah, shortly thereafter to join his new organization's Minor League system.

Rasmus' brother is Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus. His wife's name is Jillian Mathis, sister of longtime Angels catcher Jeff Mathis. They've been dating for a couple of years, and this offseason the two will have a party to celebrate their nuptials with family and friends -- giving Rasmus a chance to make up for lost time.

"I didn't get to hang out with her that whole day," Rasmus said of his July 30 wedding day. "I got married that morning, left that afternoon."

Rasmus, who was acquired in a one-for-one deal for veteran lefty reliever and pending free agent Scott Downs, was taken with the 38th overall pick in 2006. He came up as a starter, sustained a severe injury to his collarbone early in 2011, missed the rest of that season and came back at the start of 2012 as a reliever.

Rasmus -- who still has a starter's repertoire, throwing up to five pitches -- had a 3.68 ERA in 50 appearances in Double-A that season, then had a breakout year of sorts in Triple-A this year, posting a 1.72 ERA in 36 2/3 innings and saving 14 games.

"Coming into 2012 was kind of almost a rebuilding year for myself, trying to learn myself, trying to learn how to throw again," said Rasmus, who gave up six runs in 6 2/3 innings with the Major League Braves earlier this year. "I started off the season a little shaky, but over the years, my mechanics have gotten a little more consistent. I've been able to be more consistent."

Trout back in lineup after missing three games

SEATTLE -- Mike Trout returned to the Angels' lineup for Friday's series opener at Safeco Field, batting third and serving as the designated hitter as he eases his way back from the tight right hamstring that prompted him to miss the last three games.

Without Trout, the Angels posted a .216/.300/.302 slash line and totaled four runs while getting swept at home by the Indians.

"I wanted to get back," Trout said. "I don't like sitting on the bench. Not what I want to do."

Trout, with a .333/.430/.574 slash line and a 40-game on-base streak, was told that if he ran the bases pregame with no pain, he could start at DH. The 22-year-old sprinted from home to third twice and all around the diamond once, and he came out of it feeling good.

Trout then went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, snapping a 40-game on-base streak that was the longest active streak in the Majors and second-longest in team history, but he felt fine.

"My timing's a little off right now," said Trout, who finished 23 games shy of Orlando Cabrera's team record in 2006. "But I feel fine. No pain or nothing."

Kendrick running at '50- to 75-percent' in recovery

SEATTLE -- Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick was expected to be back by now, but his hyperextended left knee -- sustained during a collision with right fielder Collin Cowgill on Aug. 5 -- hasn't allowed him to sprint yet and there's still no timetable for his return.

"When it heals, it heals. I can't speed it up, I can't slow it down," said Kendrick, who was eligible to be activated on Wednesday and isn't expected back for the weekend series against the Mariners. "It's just something that's going to heal when it heals. I don't know much about the type of injury; I just know that it has a lot of bruising. My hamstring tendon is pretty sore. Last time I tried to run, it just didn't feel good. I can't really ramp it up the way I want."

Kendrick was doing some agility drills while the Angels were at home, but it was clear that he wasn't ready, so the team has backed away from that to give him more time. He's currently running at what manager Mike Scioscia estimated was "50- to 70-percent" intensity, while taking batting practice and fielding ground balls hit directly at him.

At this point, there's no concern that the injury is more serious than originally anticipated.

"The tests that he had indicate that everything is structurally OK," Scioscia said. "It's just going to take some time."

Scioscia deals with scrutiny, stressful season

SEATTLE -- Different people have different ways to cope with stressful situations. Mike Scioscia's method is quite simple.

"I eat."

The Angels' 2013 season has certainly lent itself to gluttony, with an assortment of injuries, plenty of under-performance and an 18 1/2-game deficit of first place heading into a weekend series in Seattle, setting the organization up for a fourth straight playoff absence.

The more time passes, the heavier the speculation surrounding the job statuses of Scioscia (signed through 2018) and general manager Jerry Dipoto (finishing his second year and tied to an entire front-office team). And the sentiment around the organization -- as reported by FOXSports.com on Friday -- is that the chances both return next season are slim.

"You're evaluated every day, not only in this position -- in this game you're evaluated," Scioscia said of his job security. "It doesn't change anything that you can be about. You have to go out there and keep doing what you know is the right thing to do and move forward. That's what we're going to do."

Scioscia was asked if this season has been more stressful than any of his previous 13 in Anaheim, considering it could be the first time one of his Angels teams loses 90 games.

Worth noting

• In order to make room on the roster for Rasmus, the Angels designated right-hander Billy Buckner for assignment for the third time. If he clears waivers again, he can elect free agency. Rasmus is the 25th pitcher used by the Angels, which is second in team history and four shy of the club record set in 1996.

• Minor League outfielder Angel Montilla, playing for the Angels' Dominican Summer League, was handed a 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Drug Policy on Friday. Montilla -- a 20-year-old who was batting .234 with no homers in 40 games -- tested positive for Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. His suspension is effective immediately.

• Mariners skipper Eric Wedge returned to the team on Friday for the first time since having a stroke on July 22, saying he's rested and ready to do the job again.

"Great to see Eric back," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's a really good baseball man, and I know he loves managing. It's scary when something like that happens."

• Outfielder Zach Borenstein, taking in the 23rd round in 2011, was named the California League Most Valuable Player on Friday. Borenstein, 23, posted a .332/.396/.628 slash line with 25 homers and 87 RBIs in 102 games for Class A Inland Empire.